British golfer Eddie Pepperell has posited that the remarks of PGA Tour chief Jay Monahan in heralding a "framework agreement" over a merger with LIV Golf may have convinced Jon Rahm to join the breakaway circuit .
The 2023 Masters champion represented one of the most significant coups by the Saudi Arabian entity since its establishment two years ago. The Spanish superstar jumped ship to the Gulf State at the turn of the year, having signed a reported $400 million contract with the league.
Joining Dustin Johnson , Martin Kaymer, Brooks Koepka and Lee Westwood in making the move, he was the latest one-time world No. 1 to be signed by the PIF-backed tour. However, European Tour ace Pepperell has now opined that the language used to describe the plans for a merger between the PGA Tour, LIV Golf and the DP World Tour may have influenced the star's decision.
Brooks Koepka faces challenging LIV Golf decision after victory in absence of Ryder Cup hero Jon Rahm has already made his feelings clear on rival for $18m LIV Golf bonus Announced back in June of last year, the shock news of the proposals stunned the golfing world especially amid the civil war within the sport over the previous couple of years. Still, fast forward over to now and progress over a merger has stalled - with a self-imposed deadline of the end of 2023 for a binding deal having long passed.
Explaining his stance of the situation, Pepperell told The Chipping Forecast : "I was thinking about this earlier, I just think the language that was used in hindsight by Jay Monahan was wrong. To call it a framework agreement I think suggested something that really wasn't there. I don't think it was much of an agreement at all.
"Really all that was agreed was to stop suing one another. Out of that language came Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton, players like that looking and thinking 'oh, something’s in the pipeline. I wonder if they regret using the language they used. It's going to be interesting to see."
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Pepperell also spoke of the current eco-system within the sport as he discussed the changes which have taken place in recent times on both the PGA and LIV Golf tours. Previewing whether the Saudi league will sign more household names in due course, he said: "The PGA Tour have combated that with some of their own initiatives to make their own players wealthier.
"You would think that's going to stop them going across by and large. Its going to be interesting to see if they sign any so-called big players but, of course, there might be some players like Adrian Meronk, that type of stature who might go across."
The Brit added: "Its difficult to know until there's this agreement and all these ongoing discussions. You listen Jay Monahan, read between the lines, read next year's schedule and look at what he's saying. To me it doesn't suggest there's really anything that's been fully agreed."
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